1. Welcome to Aquarium Space! We are a friendly online community for aquarium owners all over the world who love their tanks including their fish, reefs, corals, invertebrates and their aquatic livestock. If you haven't joined yet, we invite you to register and join our community!

Hole In The Head (Experience & Treatment Advice)

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by Anonymous, Jan 11, 2009.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Anyone here ever dealt with hole in the head (HITH) disease in FH's?
     
    Anonymous, Jan 11, 2009
    #1
  2. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

    Messages:
    5,728
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Hole In the Head (Treatment Advice)

    Normally the best treatment for that is to use both Maracyn and Maracyn Two. That's what everyone I know has used and had success with.
     
    Anthony, Jan 11, 2009
    #2
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    All my research points to daily WC's wouldn't these meds but rendered useless then?
     
    Anonymous, Jan 12, 2009
    #3
  4. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Re: Hole in the head

    I had HITH with one Oscar I had. It was said to me that once it advances it is not treatable. I was also told to be sure to do water changes VERY often and NEVER to feed feeders to it again!

    I would assume you feed the FH feeder goldfish?
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 12, 2009
    #4
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    No I feed him bloodworms. All my research points to a lack of vegetable matter in his diet having caused the HITH, now I begin daily WC's and the task of getting him to take a flake or pellet:)
     
    Anonymous, Jan 12, 2009
    #5
  6. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Re: Hole in the head

    Should be easy to get the pellet in the diet. Oscars eat anything and I would assume Flowerhorns do too!

    Good luck with that! Strange the poor guy got HITH without a diet of feeders, usually HITH comes from poor water quality and not diet so much. Feeders just (a) carry disease into the tank and (b) stale the water bad with the fish that ate them takes a #2!
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 12, 2009
    #6
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    Nope no feeders and the water quality is
    Ammo-0
    Nitrites-0
    Nitrates-10
    Ph-8.2
    These params NEVER change so this just baffles me. He was fine when I went to work, came home and he had pimples and holes laterally running across his head.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 12, 2009
    #7
  8. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Re: Hole in the head

    Rather Alkaline PH setting. Dont they prefer Acidic to slightly alkaline water? 6-7.5?

    Nitrates are a bit high too! Looks like from there your biological filter is doing its job but you need to change the water a bit more often.

    Also what is your temp?
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 12, 2009
    #8
  9. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Re: Hole in the head

    Ahh, sorry but I am late to edit the previous post.

    Medication for Heximita (HITH) is Metronidazole (sold as General Cure in Petsmart) I did learn that later keeping Discus although Discus do not really get the same symptoms as your larger Cichlids (no holes in the head but white poop).
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 12, 2009
    #9
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    A nitrate reading of 10 isn't high.....He is a cichlid that does prefer a higher ph which he has been in since day one. Temp falls to 78 at night and rises to 80 during the day.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 12, 2009
    #10
  11. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

    Messages:
    3,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    36
    Re: Hole in the head

    Not extremely high, but it still is a bit. I know from keeping my Oscar that Nitrates are a pain to fight down on tanks with large fish and no plants.

    Temp is not that bad if that is what it is used to. The fluctuations are not a great thing, but like the PH if it is used to it, it should not bother it.
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 12, 2009
    #11
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    Mild fluctuations in temp from night to day I have always felt are a good thing....I stress mild no more than 2 degrees. Nitrates are a constant in any tank unless it is EXTREMELY heavily planted. I have begun 50% WC's daily and am hoping this will help clear up the problem without the use of meds, I will continue this for a week and see what the progression is. If it is not looking any better I will have to start adding aquazole I guess:)
     
    Anonymous, Jan 12, 2009
    #12
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Re: Hole in the head

    IMO fish are completely adapted for a temp fluctuation btw day and night, all bodies of water have a significant drop when the sun sets
     
    Anonymous, Jan 13, 2009
    #13
  14. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

    Messages:
    5,172
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    38
    This member has been banned and will be unable to reply, hence the topic will be locked.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 29, 2009
    #14
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.